pair of glasses

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A set of two lenses in a frame that you wear in front of your eyes to help you see better.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a pair of glasses' or 'two pairs of glasses'. The word 'glasses' is always plural.

   Patterns

   • a pair of glasses
   • two pairs of glasses
   • wear a pair of glasses

   I need to buy a new pair of glasses because mine are broken.

   She put on her pair of glasses to read the small print.

   He has three pairs of glasses: one for reading, one for driving, and one for the computer.

Word forms

Common combinations

wear a pair of glasses

He wears a pair of glasses only when he drives.

a new pair of glasses

She bought a new pair of glasses online.

put on a pair of glasses

Put on your pair of glasses; the board is far away.

break a pair of glasses

I dropped my bag and broke my pair of glasses.

Synonyms and how they differ

spectacles

A more formal or old-fashioned word for glasses; 'pair of glasses' is the everyday term.

eyeglasses

Common in American English, but 'pair of glasses' is more natural in everyday speech.

Word family

glasses noun

The plural noun for the lenses themselves; often used alone to mean a pair of glasses.

glass noun

The clear material; also a drinking container. Not used for eyewear.

Commonly confused: pair of glasses or pair of pants?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pair of glasses”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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